Karakalpakstan

. Combining remote wildernesses with rich culture, Karakalpakstan is the perfect destination for intrepid travellers . Tourism, particularly ecotourism, is a priority for the republic's economic development . A detailed and up-to-date guide to Central Asia's best-kept secret . Written by two Central Asia experts and tourism professionals About Bradt Travel Guides · Founded in 1974, Bradt is now the largest independent guidebook publisher in the UK with over 200 titles in print · Serial winner of the Gold award for Best Guidebook Series in the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards · Bradt guides are written by authors who really know their destinations. Many are resident there, or have been visiting regularly over a number of years · Each new Bradt guide is backed by a dedicated press and social media campaign

Karakalpakstan travel guide. Holiday advice and travel information to this autonomous Central Asian republic, featuring heritage attractions (museums, desert fortresses, mausolea, ancient settlements), ecotourism, wildlife, festivals, accommodation, restaurants and transport. Thorough coverage includes Nukus, Ancient Khorezm, Ustyurt, Aral Sea, the Aralkum Desert, Chilpik Dakhma and Amu Darya.Bradt's Karakalpakstan is the longest, most detailed and most up-to-date travel guidebook to this autonomous republic - Central Asia's best-kept secret. With detailed information on what to see and do, listings for accommodation and restaurants, and guidance on getting around, this guide provides all the practical advice adventurous tourists need to visit or explore this exciting destination. Roughly the size of Sweden, Karakalpakstan borders Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and was, until recently, dominated by the Aral Sea. As the sea water has retreated, the Aralkum - the world's newest desert - and numerous lakes have formed in its place. Ecotourism is developing rapidly here, as local people recognise the need to protect and restore fragile ecosystems while creating meaningful employment opportunities. Amid Karakalpakstan's remote wildernesses, the intrepid traveller will find unique geology (such as the Ustyurt Plateau), rare wildlife (including a substantial population of the critically endangered saiga antelope, whose peculiarly bulbous nose helps filter desert dust and regulate the animal's temperature), and fabulous star gazing. The region also boasts a long history and rich culture. Scattered through the Kyzylkum, the ruins of the 50-plus desert fortresses of Ancient Khorezm (some proposed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites) attest to the region's former strategic importance. You can explore ancient settlements (such as the necropolis of Mizdakhan, said to include the grave of Adam), and see caravanserais, mausolea and even Chilpik Dakhma, a Zoroastrian 'tower of silence'. Alternatively, celebrate Russian Avant Garde art alongside the superb archaeological and ethnographic collections of Savitsky Museum in Nukus, justifiably known as the 'Louvre of the Steppe'. For something entirely different, why not explore Muynak's ship graveyard on the remains of the Aral Sea, visit the notorious Soviet bioweapons lab Aralsk 7 on Vozrozhdeniya (Resurrection Island), raise your binoculars at the Important Bird and Biodiversity Area of Sudochye Lakes (where 230 types of birds have been recorded) or dance the night away at the annual Stihia festival of electronic music. Written by two Central Asian experts, Bradt's Karakalpakstan is an indispensable practical companion to visiting this excitingly varied republic.